Street Art Glossary: 64 Terms Explained (Prints, Graffiti, Value)

A

Appraisal

A written, signed valuation by a qualified expert for a specific purpose and date. Unlike a quick estimate, it can be relied on by insurers, heirs, courts and tax offices.

Art toy (designer toy)

A collectible figure, usually vinyl or resin, designed by an artist and produced in editions. KAWS «Companion» figures are the best-known example; box and condition matter a lot.

Artist's proof (AP)

Extra prints outside the numbered edition, traditionally kept by the artist and marked «AP». They often sell at or above the price of numbered prints.

Artist's resale right (droit de suite)

In the EU and the UK, artists or their heirs receive a small percentage when their work is resold through the art trade above a minimum price. Switzerland has no such right.

Attribution

The assignment of a work to a specific artist. «Attributed to» in a catalogue means the expert believes but cannot confirm it.

Auction estimate

The price range (low–high) an auction house expects a lot to reach. It is a guide, not a promise; results can land well above or below.

B

Blackbook

A writer's sketchbook for drafts and for other writers' tags. Blackbooks by well-known artists can be collectible originals.

Bombing

Painting many tags or throw-ups in a short time across a city or on trains, aiming for visibility rather than detail.

Buff

The removal or painting-over of graffiti and street art by cities or owners. «Buffed» means the work is gone.

Buyer's premium

The fee an auction house adds on top of the hammer price, paid by the buyer. Rates vary by house and price band and are listed in the sale terms.

C

Cap (nozzle)

The interchangeable nozzle on a spray can. Skinny caps give thin lines, fat caps wide fills.

Catalogue raisonné

A complete scholarly list of an artist's works or prints, with dates, editions and details. If a print is not in it, ask why.

Certificate of authenticity (COA)

A document confirming a work is genuine. Only a COA from the artist, their studio or official authentication body carries real weight; dealer certificates are opinions.

Colour variant (colourway)

The same image printed in a different colour scheme, often as a separate, smaller edition. Rare colourways can be worth far more than the standard version.

Comparable sales (comps)

Recent prices for the same or very similar works – same image, edition, signature and condition. Comps are the backbone of every serious valuation.

Condition report

A written description of a work's physical state – creases, stains, fading, damage – prepared before a sale or for insurance.

Conservation framing (archival framing)

Framing with acid-free mount board, reversible hinges and UV-filtering glass. It protects prints and keeps their value; tape and glue on the back do the opposite.

Consignment

Handing a work to an auction house or dealer to sell on your behalf. You stay the owner until it sells and pay a seller's commission.

Crew

A group of graffiti writers who paint together and often sign with the crew's initials next to their own names.

D

Drop (release, ballot)

The online release of a new print or toy, often sold out in minutes or allocated by ballot (a lottery among registered buyers).

E

Edition (limited edition)

The total number of prints made of one image, fixed in advance. The smaller the edition, the scarcer each print – one of the main drivers of value.

Edition number

The fraction in pencil, usually in the lower margin – for example 45/150: print 45 of an edition of 150. The number itself rarely changes the price.

F

Fading (light damage)

Colours that have weakened through sunlight or strong light. Fluorescent and bright screenprint inks are especially sensitive; fading cannot be reversed.

Fair market value

The price a willing buyer and seller would agree on, both informed and under no pressure. Used for estates, divisions and tax.

Flipping

Buying a new release at the primary price and reselling it quickly for profit. Some artists and publishers ban flippers from future releases.

Forgery (fake)

A work falsely presented as by a particular artist. Popular street art images and signatures are widely faked, especially Banksy, KAWS and Shepard Fairey.

Foxing

Small brown spots on paper caused by humidity and mould. It lowers the value of prints and can often be treated by a paper conservator.

G

Giclée

A high-quality inkjet print. Signed, numbered giclées can be valuable, but unsigned giclée reproductions of famous images are usually decorative only.

Graffiti

Letter-based painting, mostly with spray paint, that grew out of New York subway culture in the 1970s. Graffiti writers focus on their name; street art more often uses images.

See also: Tag, Throw-up, Piece (masterpiece), Writer

H

Hall of fame (legal wall)

A wall where painting is allowed or tolerated, so writers can take their time on large pieces. Works there are regularly painted over.

Hammer price

The winning bid when the auctioneer's hammer falls – before the buyer's premium and taxes. Published «results» often include the premium, so check which figure you compare.

HC (hors commerce)

French for «not for trade»: proofs originally meant for exhibitions or the publisher, marked «HC». Today they appear on the market like other proofs.

HPM (hand-painted multiple)

A print or object finished by hand by the artist, so each copy is slightly different. Hand-finished works usually sell above plain prints of the same edition.

L

Lithograph

A print made from a flat stone or plate treated so that ink sticks only to the image. Traditional fine-art technique, less common in street art than screenprinting.

M

Mosaic (tile invasion)

Street works made of small tiles fixed to walls, best known from Invader's pixel-style «Space Invaders». Collectors also buy the artist's studio mosaics and prints.

Multiple

An artwork – often an object or sculpture – produced in several identical copies under the artist's control.

Mural

A large painting applied directly to a wall, often commissioned by a city, festival or owner. Murals are usually not for sale; their value lies in the artist's reputation.

O

Offset print (poster)

A mass-production print, as used for posters and books. Offset posters of street art images are common and usually worth little unless signed or from an early, documented run.

Open edition

A print or object produced without a fixed limit, often unsigned. Usually affordable and rarely an investment.

Original (unique work)

A one-off work made by the artist's hand – a painting, drawing or spray work on canvas. Originals are rarer and usually far more valuable than prints.

P

Paste-up (wheatpaste)

A drawing or print on paper glued to a wall with wheat paste. Quick to put up and fragile, so originals rarely survive.

Banksy's official authentication body. It issues certificates for Banksy works, and major auction houses generally require one before selling a Banksy. It does not authenticate works painted on the street.

Piece (masterpiece)

An elaborate, multi-coloured graffiti work with complex letters, effects and often characters. Pieces take hours and show a writer's skill.

Post-graffiti

Studio work by artists with a graffiti background – canvases, sculptures, prints – made for galleries rather than the street.

Primary market

The first sale of a work, directly from the artist, their studio, publisher or gallery, at the release price.

Printer's proof (PP)

A proof kept by the print studio, marked «PP». Rarer than numbered prints; collectors value them similarly to artist's proofs.

Provenance

The documented ownership history of a work: original receipt, gallery invoice, exhibition, previous sales. Good provenance raises confidence – and price.

R

Replacement value (insurance value)

What it would cost to buy a comparable work today from a dealer or gallery. Insurers usually use it; it is typically higher than fair market value.

Reserve price

The confidential minimum below which a lot will not be sold. It is usually at or below the low estimate.

Restoration

Professional repair of damage such as tears, stains or paint loss. Good restoration can recover value but must be disclosed when selling.

S

Screenprint (silkscreen, serigraph)

A print made by pushing ink through a fine mesh, one screen per colour. Most collectible street art prints – from Banksy to Shepard Fairey – are screenprints.

Secondary market

Every resale after the first sale – at auction, through dealers or online. Market value is set here, not by the original price.

Signed / unsigned

Whether the artist signed the print by hand, usually in pencil. For many artists, signed and unsigned versions of the same image differ in value many times over.

Spray paint (aerosol)

The main tool of graffiti. On canvas or paper, «spray paint» in a description usually signals a hand-made original rather than a print.

Stencil

A cut-out template that is sprayed over to transfer an image quickly and repeatably. Banksy, Blek le Rat and many others built their style on stencils.

Sticker art (slaps)

Stickers with an artist's motif or name, stuck on signs and poles. Shepard Fairey's early «Obey Giant» stickers are a well-known example.

Street art

Art made in public space – on walls, signs, pavements or objects – often without permission. In the market the term also covers prints, canvases and objects by artists who started on the street.

Street piece (wall removal)

A work painted on the street that is later cut out of the wall and offered for sale. Such pieces are legally and ethically disputed, and artists like Banksy do not authenticate them.

T

Tag

A graffiti writer's signature, written quickly in one colour. Tags are the most basic form of graffiti and rarely have market value on their own.

Throw-up

Bubble letters with an outline and a quick fill, usually two colours. Faster than a piece, bigger than a tag.

See also: Tag, Piece (masterpiece), Bombing

U

Urban art

A broader market label for art rooted in graffiti and street culture, including studio works on canvas and paper. Auction houses often use it for their street art sales.

W

Wildstyle

A complex graffiti lettering style with interlocking letters, arrows and connections that are hard for outsiders to read.

Writer

What graffiti artists call themselves, because graffiti started with writing names. «Graffiti artist» is the outsider's term.

Street art glossary

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